Air Peace Flights Halted as Aviation Unions Protest Unpaid 5% Ticket Sales Charge

LAGOS — Several Air Peace passengers have been left stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport following industrial action by aviation unions over the airline’s alleged failure to remit outstanding Ticket Sales Charge, TSC, payments.

The Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSAN, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, stopped Air Peace operations at the old terminal of the Lagos airport.

The action followed a three-day strike notice issued by the unions on August 4 over the airline’s alleged failure to remit the statutory five per cent TSC.

The Ticket Sales Charge is imposed on commercial airline tickets in Nigeria. Airlines collect the levy and remit it to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, which distributes the funds among key aviation agencies to support safety regulation, oversight and industry infrastructure.

Explaining the decision to halt Air Peace operations, ATSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, said the unions had exhausted other avenues for resolving the dispute.

He described the airline as “recalcitrant” and said the decision to begin the action with Air Peace was deliberate.

“It has never been in our character to stop operations. But when our lives and existence are involved, we have no other choice. What you are seeing here today, it is not only Air Peace that is culpable. But there is a reason we have started with Air Peace; it is the most stubborn. Air Peace is the template that other recalcitrant airlines are using,” he said.

The action resulted in passengers being stranded at the airport as scheduled Air Peace flights were disrupted.

One affected traveller described the situation as frustrating.

“I had a flight for 7:00 AM. Against all odds (traffic), I made it right on time, only to find out that the union guys have stopped Airpeace from flying today. Everyone is stranded. It is painful,” the passenger told Vanguard.

NCAA Moves to Resolve Dispute

The NCAA confirmed that it was aware of the industrial action and appealed to the unions to suspend the disruption.

Its Director General, Captain Chris Ona Najomo, said the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been working to resolve the disagreement between the parties.

According to the NCAA, the dispute was expected to be discussed at a meeting called by the minister the previous week.

“The matter would have been addressed at the meeting convened by the Minister last week, but the meeting could not be held as the airline operators failed to honour the invitation,” the regulator said.

The authority, however, assured travellers that aviation safety remained unaffected by the industrial action.

“The NCAA assures the travelling public that flight safety remains uncompromised and that the Authority continues to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities,” it said.

The regulator urged the unions and airline operators to embrace dialogue, expressing confidence that the dispute would be resolved soon.

“We appeal to all parties to embrace dialogue and cooperation. We are confident that the matter will be resolved shortly and normal flight operations will resume as soon as practicable,” the NCAA said.

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